Rice

Rice is a metaphor for the coexistence of simplicity and complexity. It seems simple on the surface. White or brown, short, medium, or long grain…these are our limited options. It is a basic food, a side dish, an afterthought.

But if we look closer and pay attention, we will find that there are many varieties of rice with intricate aromas, distinctive flavors, and beautiful colors. Red, black, organic, wild, jasmine, starchy, medicinal…there are over 40,000 varieties of rice.

Rice is paradoxical. It is taken for granted, yet it is essential. It is simple, yet it is complex. It is easy to prepare, yet difficult to grow. Rice is life.